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Title: The Butler (2013)
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Forest Whitaker | ... | Cecil Gaines | |
| David Banner | ... | Earl Gaines | |
| Michael Rainey Jr. | ... | Cecil Gaines (8) | |
| LaJessie Smith | ... | Abraham | |
| Mariah Carey | ... | Hattie Pearl | |
| Alex Pettyfer | ... | Thomas Westfall | |
| Vanessa Redgrave | ... | Annabeth Westfall | |
| Aml Ameen | ... | Cecil Gaines (15) | |
| Clarence Williams III | ... | Maynard | |
| John P. Fertitta | ... | Mr. Jenkins (as John Fertitta) | |
| Jim Gleason | ... | R.D. Warner | |
| Oprah Winfrey | ... | Gloria Gaines | |
| Isaac White | ... | Charlie Gaines (10) | |
| David Oyelowo | ... | Louis Gaines | |
| Joe Chrest | ... | White Usher | |
Cecil Gaines was a sharecropper's son who grew up in the 1920s as a domestic servant for the white family who casually destroyed his. Eventually striking out on his own, Cecil becomes a hotel valet of such efficiency and discreteness in the 1950s that he becomes a butler in the White House itself. There, Cecil would serve numerous US Presidents over the decades as a passive witness of history with the American Civil Rights Movement gaining momentum even as his family has troubles of its own. As his wife, Gloria, struggles with her addictions and his defiant eldest son, Louis, strives for a just world, Cecil must decide whether he should take action in his own way. Written by Kenneth Chisholm (kchishol@rogers.com)
Although the movie is based on a true story, a story that is very interesting, the producers couldn't leave it alone. Instead, they tampered with it so much that they made such an interesting story, uninteresting.
The only bright spot in the movie is Forest Whitaker. Given what he had to work with, he did a superb job of playing Eugene Allen. Allen was a humble man and Whitaker captures that humility. Originally, Denzel Washington was selected to play the part but it is unlikely that Washington, as good an actor as he is, could portray a humble man.
One of he big weaknesses in the film was the supporting cast. Oprah Winfrey was miscast as the butlers wife. That really distracted from Goines. Oprah came across as much too strong a personality as if the film was centered around her instead of Goines and her acting was mediocre. In real life, the story was about Allen, and not about his wife, but Oprah made the film as much about her as Allen. There are two explanations for writing the story to include Oprah. Either, the producers wanted her star power, or more likely, they needed her money to produce the film and had to cast her in the movie to get it.
Other than the strong performance by Whitaker, about the redeeming thing about the movie is that at least viewers are aware of the basic theme of the story, as fictionalized as it is, is that there was a butler of color that served eight presidents, was invited by one president to an official dinner, and got to see a man of color elected president. But we all could have learned that if it had been made a TV documentary rather than a crappy movie.